May, 2025 Military Aviation News
05/31/2025
apan has growing doubts that its next-generation fighter project with Britain and Italy will meet a 2035 rollout target, potentially forcing Tokyo to plug air defense gaps with new U.S. F-35 stealth planes or upgrades to aging jets, two sources said. The joint Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) established in 2022 is falling behind schedule due to a lack of urgency from Britain and Italy, which could push deployment beyond 2040, according to one of the sources.
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05/31/2025
The ferocity of the shots fired in the recent India-Pakistan conflict have quietened but the skirmish is already having an impact on global air forces. Jamming devices are now considered essential, experts have told The National. A major investigation among Western powers is under way to understand how potentially three French-built Rafales were lost to Pakistan's Chinese made J-10Cs, alongside the worrying development of long-range aerial warfare.
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05/31/2025
Dutch F-35s joined Finland’s Baana 25 exercises, simulating highway landings to boost NATO’s Agile Combat Employment strategy, showcasing operational flexibility, readiness, and alliance interoperability amid modern warfare threats. It has been over two years since Finland officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, in that short time, it has worked closely with its allied nations in numerous drills, including its annual “Baana” exercises.
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05/31/2025
According to information published by the Norwegian Ministry of Defense on May 28, 2025, Norwegian Armed Forces achieved a groundbreaking milestone in NATO’s advancement of network-enabled warfare. While the operation was conducted on May 14, 2025, the newly revealed details emphasize a major leap in allied digital integration and precision strike capability.
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05/31/2025
Lockheed Martin is developing an advanced version of its F-35 stealth fighter jet that could potentially be uncrewed, the company's CEO said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Bernstein's 41st Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, CEO Jim Taiclet floated the possibility of an F-35 whose pilot could be "optional" within a "relatively modest time frame."
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05/30/2025
The Ministry of National Defense tracked 16 Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels, and one official ship around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Thursday and 6 a.m. on Friday. Seven of the 16 People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s northern and eastern air defense identification zone, according to the MND.
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05/30/2025
According to information published by the British daily The Telegraph on May 20, 2025, the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm’s F-35B fighters will remain limited in their air-to-ground strike capabilities for several more years. Despite their advanced design, these aircraft currently rely solely on Paveway series guided bombs, due to the lack of integration of more sophisticated weaponry. The SPEAR 3 missile program, intended to fill this gap, has experienced significant delays.
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05/30/2025
China has emerged as a manufacturing superpower in several industries but has failed to gain traction as an exporter of combat aircraft. Could this be about to change? A fateful night in the skies above mountainous Kashmir hints that the world’s perception of Chinese combat aircraft may have reached a turning point.
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05/30/2025
Despite international sanctions and the fact that its industrial complex is focused on the war effort, Russia has completed the delivery of a new batch of Sukhoi Su-30SM2 fighter-bombers to equip the Belarusian Air Force. The news emerged through the viral circulation of images showing an undisclosed number of aircraft delivered by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense.
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05/29/2025
French President Emmanuel Macron appears to have convinced Indonesia to place follow-on orders for Rafale and Scorpene submarines as it seeks to deepen defense and trade ties with Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Macron arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, from Vietnam on May 27 for the second leg of his three-country Southeast Asia tour, which also includes Singapore, and aims to project France as a balancing power in the Indo-Pacific.
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05/29/2025
The crisis within the IAF cannot by itself explain the excellent performance of Pakistani PL-15 missiles against what were supposedly India’s superior air capabilities. The dismal showing of India’s expensive French-built Dassault Rafales in its recent war against Pakistan has triggered a wave of recriminations between the Indian and French governments. Not only has the unimpressive display of the Dassault Rafales in the opening phases of the recent conflict come as a shock to the world.
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05/29/2025
India’s new stealth fighter plan aims to reassert air dominance in a region where Pakistan’s Chinese-made jets recently drew first blood in an intensifying South Asian arms race. This month, India’s Ministry of Defense green-lighted a blueprint for developing its most sophisticated stealth fighter jet, known as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Reuters reported.
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05/28/2025
India, one of the world's largest arms importers, has made the modernisation of its forces a top priority in the face of tensions with nuclear-armed Pakistan and China. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the prototype of a 5th generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), the ministry said in a statement, calling it a "significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities".
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05/28/2025
Over more than three years of conflict, various Russian/Soviet-origin fighter jets operated by the Ukrainian Air Force have been observed modified or adapted to deploy Western weaponry. To cite just a few examples, Su-27 fighters have been seen using French-made AASM HAMMER guided bombs and U.S.-made GBU-39 glide bombs. The Su-24 Fencer aircraft have also been employed as launch platforms for SCALP EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
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05/27/2025
The Finnish Foreign Ministry has summoned russian Ambassador Pavel Kuznetsov to demand an explanation in connection with the alleged violation of the country's airspace by russian military aircraft on May 23.
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05/27/2025
During the recent China-Egypt joint air drills, Eagles of Civilization 2025, held between April and May at Wadi Abu Rish Air Base, non-official sources reported that the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mahmoud Fuad Abdel Gawad, expressed a strong interest in China’s J-35 stealth fighter. While this information has not been officially confirmed by either Egyptian or Chinese authorities.
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05/27/2025
The Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed on Monday that the final batch of six F-16 fighter jets promised to Kyiv has left the Netherlands on its way to Ukraine. The Netherlands has been a key ally of Ukraine and an early advocate for Ukraine to receive fighter jets from the West. In May 2023, former US President Joe Biden agreed to allow the Netherlands and other European countries to begin training Ukrainian pilots and to transfer F-16s to Ukraine.
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05/27/2025
Recent reports from various international media outlets, including Defense Arabic, suggest that Azerbaijan is poised to significantly bolster its air force by expanding its order of JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets, a joint production between Pakistan and China.
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05/27/2025
As reported by TASS on May 22, 2025, the first confirmed foreign customer of the Russian Su-57E fifth-generation multirole fighter jet will begin operating the aircraft in 2025. While the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation did not disclose the identity of the purchasing country during the MILEX 2025 defense exhibition in Minsk, multiple independent sources, including Algerian state television and statements from Russian officials, confirm that Algeria is the first export
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05/26/2025
A major shift is underway for one of the most prominent units of the United States Air National Guard. The 127th Wing, based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, will replace its A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft with 21 new F-15EX Eagle II fighters. President Donald J. Trump announced this development during his visit to Selfridge on April 29, 2025. It marks a new phase for the unit, which has operated the A-10 for the past 15 years.
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05/26/2025
Japan’s Defense Ministry has announced for the first time that China sent its Liaoning aircraft carrier into the East China Sea, some 200 kilometers from the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, for practice deploying fighter jets. The Defense Ministry’s Joint Staff Office said in a statement late Sunday that the Chinese carrier was sailing alongside four destroyers in the waters north of Kuba Island in the Senkaku chain, which is also claimed by Beijing, where the islets are known as the Diao
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05/26/2025
Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defence for Aviation Development Oleksandr Kozenko met with a Swedish delegation led by Thomas Lindén, Director for Ukraine Affairs at Saab, on May 23, 2025. The discussions centered on modernizing Ukraine’s aging fleet of Soviet-era aircraft and exploring the potential transfer of advanced Swedish aviation platforms.
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05/26/2025
The recent aerial clash between Pakistan and India offers a glimpse of how China is narrowing the gap in military airpower with the US. It is a warning not just for Washington, but for Taipei, too. Claims from both sides remain contested, but a broader picture is emerging among experts who track China’s air force and fighter jet development: Beijing’s defense systems are growing increasingly credible.
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05/26/2025
In 2016, Ankara announced the launch of its Turkish Fighter (TF-X), a stealth, twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter plane, rechristened as the KAAN project, which is part of a wider initiative intended to reduce Turkey’s dependence on foreign imports for its defense industry. At the start of the 2000s, Turkey relied on imports for 80% of its defense requirements, a figure that has now been reduced to around 20%.
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05/26/2025
Almost simultaneously with U.S. President Donald Trump concluding his tour of the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force confirmed that it carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, using its F-15 Baz fighter-bombers for the operation. According to the Air Force, the missions took place on Friday, May 16th, and specifically targeted the ports of Hodeidah and Salif—an action that, according to Jerusalem, was a response to the ongoing missile and drone attacks launched by the rebels.
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05/25/2025
The U.S. has two of the world’s four fifth-generation fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. Owing to their similar names and appearances, the two planes have a tendency to be conflated—and the fact that both are produced by Lockheed Martin invites further confusion. But the two cutting-edge fighters are quite different in most respects. From speed to maneuverability to stealth to avionics, they were built for different missions.
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05/25/2025
On May 22, 2025, The Merge published imagery of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle undergoing flight testing with an underwing loadout of 42 APKWS II 70 mm guided rockets, marking a substantial increase in munition capacity. Compared to the typical six air-to-air missile loadout, the integration of APKWS II enables the F-15E to carry up to 42 guided rockets, potentially increasing the number of engagement opportunities by a factor of seven against UAS and cruise missiles.
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05/25/2025
Only time will tell whether or not Sweden’s domestically produced sixth-gen fighter will ever make it past the conception phase. The United States and China are not the only nations racing to build sixth-generation fighter programs. While Washington’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems and China’s J-36 fighter prototype continue to monopolize media headlines, other sixth-gen concepts have come to fruition in recent years.
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05/25/2025
On May 21, 2025, the Weibo user posted images reportedly showing a green-painted J-35A fighter jet, a color typically associated with unpainted airframes or early production models, which led to speculation that the aircraft could be the first serial production J-35A. Although some internet sources and commentators claimed the aircraft was intended for Pakistan or had already entered operational service, such interpretations are not supported by any official statements.
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05/25/2025
Two NATO members have accused Russia of provocation along the alliance's eastern flank. Poland said on Thursday that its fighter jets had intercepted a Russian Su-24 bomber that performed "dangerous" maneuvers in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. The next day, Finland said it was investigating whether Russian aircraft had breached the NATO member's
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05/24/2025
South Korea, with US support, restored a grounded F-35A by pioneering wing-removal transport. This saved millions of dollars and bolstered future repairs in the F-35 sustainment program. The US-led F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) aided the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) in refurbishing its damaged Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, previously considered irreparable and a write-off. After colliding with an eagle, the RoKAF F-35A was forced to make an emergency landing.
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05/24/2025
As part of the “Peace Condor” program, the Argentine Air Force (FAA) achieved two major milestones in May on its path toward full operational capability with F-16 fighter jets: its first participation in the global F100 engine users conference hosted by Pratt & Whitney, and the launch of a state-of-the-art tactical simulation center at the VI Air Brigade in Tandil.
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05/24/2025
On 21 May, the Italian Ministry of Defence announced the signing of an intergovernmental agreement for the supply of 12 Leonardo M-346 FA (Block 20) light combat aircraft to Austria. The contract also includes a full mission simulator, IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile integration, Link 16 data link, Nexter 20mm gun pods, LAU-32 rocket launchers, and Elbit SPEAR AECM pods for self-defence and electronic warfare.
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05/23/2025
The capability of military aircraft is a crucial element of international defense strategies, serving as a foundation for rapid-response operations, force projection, and national security. Beyond defending their own borders, nations with the largest and most advanced military aircraft fleets by 2025 will significantly influence regional and international security dynamics. Fighter jets, bombers, transport aircraft, observation systems, aerial refuelers, drones, and early-warning aircraft.
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05/23/2025
At the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition [LIMA] in Malaysia, which opened on May 20, 2025, China’s J-10CE fighter jet emerged as a focal point, drawing crowds of military officials, industry experts, and global defense enthusiasts.
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05/23/2025
Cubic Defense, the world's leading provider of advanced air combat training, announces the delivery of the first-ever encrypted ACMI upgrade to 4th gen aircraft, following the recent U.S. Air Force Production award. The modernization delivers a new era of operational readiness, bringing a much-needed proficiency to the Warfighter.
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05/23/2025
The United States Air Force will manage the F-47 fighter programme differently from previous efforts, with a focus on shared systems and greater government control, according to Gen. David Allvin, Air Force Chief of Staff. Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Allvin stated that the F-47 will share the same mission systems architecture as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
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05/23/2025
The F-47 fighter will be run differently than previous fighter programs and share the same mission systems architecture as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told the Senate Armed Services Committee. That means advances in one will fuel advances in the other.
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05/22/2025
Yesterday, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), together with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), announced that the first production KF-21 Boramae fighter jet has entered its final assembly phase, bringing it one step closer to being incorporated into the South Korean Air Force in the near future. The news was confirmed during a ceremony held at the company’s facilities in the Sacheon region.
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05/22/2025
The U.S. Air Force is planning to return its F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath in England and consolidate its fleet stateside. Currently, the F-15Es in the United Kingdom are the only permanently forward-deployed examples of the aircraft, which remain the service’s first choice for a wide variety of critical missions around the globe.
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05/22/2025
In testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, senior officials from the USAF and Space Force delivered a clear and urgent message: the American airpower structure is being recalibrated to address advanced threats from strategic competitors, with a sharp focus on tactical innovation and modernization of combat systems. With the rise of peer adversaries such as China, the Air Force leadership emphasized that maintaining tactical superiority requires a new generation of aircraft.
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05/22/2025
In the early hours of May 21, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, through coordinated efforts involving its Unmanned Systems Forces and other defense components, struck the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant in russia's Oryol region, a facility crucial to Moscow's military-industrial complex.
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05/22/2025
On May 19, the FighterBomber Telegram channel—typically a reliable source for insights into Russian military aviation—suggested in a post that Russia’s A-100 AEW&CS development program had been canceled. The last official statement on the A-100 program was issued in December 2023, when Rostec reported that its subsidiary, Vega Concern, was delivering modernized A-50 AEW&CS aircraft to the Russian armed forces while concurrently developing the more advanced A-100 AEW&CS.
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05/21/2025
The secretary of the U.S. Air Force on Tuesday said future Pentagon spending will support President Donald Trump's decision last month to send F-15EX fighters to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, and that they would arrive on time in 2028 as Trump announced.
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05/21/2025
On Monday, aerospace giant Lockheed Martin announced that its Advanced Development Programs division, more commonly known as the “Skunk Works,” has achieved another significant milestone with the F-35 Lightning II. The company, working with the Danish Ministry of Defense (MOD), “completed a successful live F-35 interoperability demonstration,” the latest “success in a series of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) demonstrations” involving the fifth-generation stealth fighter.
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05/21/2025
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin today responded to questioning regarding the potential of a new version of the prolific F-16, a so-called Block 80, as a way of increasing the combat mass of the service in the future. While the Air Force doesn’t at this point have a plan to start buying Vipers again, it’s certainly interesting that the topic is up for discussion, especially with the service looking hard at how it will balance its next-generation fighter requirements.
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05/21/2025
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has entered the ground testing phase of its YFQ-42A production-representative test vehicle as part of the U.S. Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme. Ground testing commenced on 7 May in preparation for the aircraft’s planned first flight later this summer.
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05/21/2025
Anduril just gave the world a closer look at “Fury,” its next-generation uncrewed fighter jet built to team up with human pilots in the skies. An episode of CBS’s 60 Minutes aired Sunday featured Anduril founder Palmer Luckey walking viewers through the aircraft’s development, offering a rare look inside the hangar where the drone is being pieced together.
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05/21/2025
First flown in 1997, the L-159 features many of the L-39/59’s aerodynamic configurations, but multiple changes were made to improve upon the L-159’s combat performance. The Aero Vodochody L-159 ALCA is a light combat aircraft and advanced trainer, developed as a replacement to Aero’s L-39 and L-59 Albatros aircraft. Built in the Czech Republic, the L-159 began development in 1993 for the purpose of replacing aircraft from the recently-collapsed Soviet Union.
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05/20/2025
Jakarta’s $8.1 billion deal to acquire 42 French-made Rafale fighter jets has come under scrutiny, with Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense initiating a review of the aircraft’s operational reliability following unverified claims of poor performance in recent aerial clashes between India and Pakistan.
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05/20/2025
According to Inquirer.net, Lockheed Martin has recently intensified its communication surrounding its offer of F-16 Block 70 “Viper” fighter jets for the Philippine Air Force’s Multi-Role Fighter (MRF) program. In a regional context increasingly marked by tensions, particularly over sovereignty issues in the South China Sea, the U.S. defense company has highlighted a combination of strategic, technical, and industrial arguments to win over Manila.
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05/20/2025
On May 15, 2025, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation [UAC], through its Sukhoi Design Bureau, unveiled the advanced features of the upgraded Su-57M, a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet poised to enhance Russia’s air combat capabilities.
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05/20/2025
Three students from the United States Air Force Test Pilot School recently conducted flight training with the JAS 39 Gripen at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration’s (FMV) test site in Linköping. The visit is part of an ongoing exchange programme between Sweden and the two major American test pilot schools, according to a press release from FMV.
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05/20/2025
Türkiye's recent efforts to modernize its air force have led it to seek new alternatives following unfavorable developments in the F-35 program. In this context, the country has intensified negotiations for procuring Eurofighter Typhoon jets, produced by a consortium involving the U.K., Spain and Germany, while continuing to develop its domestic air defense systems.
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05/19/2025
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has clarified an incident involving the dispatch of F-16 fighter jets after a Myanmar aircraft approached Kanchanaburi around midday on Friday. Air Vice Marshal Prapas Sonjaidee, spokesperson for the RTAF, stated that a single K-8 military aircraft from Myanmar was detected flying close to Thai airspace in Mueang district, Kanchanaburi province, at 12.31 pm.
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05/19/2025
Taiwan said on Sunday that it tracked Chinese military aircraft and naval ships around its territory. "Overall 18 sorties #PLA aircraft in various types (including J-16, KJ-500, etc.) were detected from 0850hr today. 13 out of 18 sorties crossed the median line of the #Taiwan Strait and entered the northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ," the Defense Ministry said on X.
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05/19/2025
Denmark has announced its 26th military aid package for Ukraine, with a focus on maintaining F-16 fighter aircraft and enhancing training infrastructure, the Danish government stated. The package, valued at approximately €562.8 million (DKK 4.2 billion), covers the 2025–2028 period. It will be funded through Denmark’s Ukraine Fund and reimbursement mechanisms under the European Peace Facility (EPF).
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05/19/2025
On May 17, 2025, North Korea showcased a significant advancement in its military capabilities, unveiling a new active radar-guided air-to-air missile integrated with its MiG-29 fighter jets. The demonstration, overseen by leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to the 1st Guards Air Division of the Korean People’s Army Air Force, marks a notable step in Pyongyang’s efforts to bolster its aging air force.
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05/18/2025
American Company Boeing's revitalized production strategy for the F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet signals a major boost to U.S. Air Force combat readiness, as 90 units are now actively progressing through the assembly line. This acceleration reflects improved manufacturing efficiency and strategic foresight, with the goal of consistently delivering two aircraft per month by the end of 2026.
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05/17/2025
Denmark received four more F-35 fighter jets on Thursday, with more than half of the country’s ordered fleet of stealth aircraft now stationed on Danish soil, after delivery had been delayed as manufacturer Lockheed Martin struggled to implement an upgrade for the plane.
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05/17/2025
The Air Force graph revealed that the plane would have a top speed of approximately Mach 2+, or around 1,550 miles per hour, similar to the F-22 Raptor. In March, President Donald Trump revealed with great fanfare the Air Force’s next stealth fighter jet. The Boeing F-47— is set to become the first 6th-generation stealth fighter jet to ever take to the skies. Now, in a recent post on X, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin revealed some interesting information about the upcoming
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05/17/2025
In a striking development that has caught the attention of defense observers worldwide, China has extended an offer to sell two squadrons of its advanced Chengdu J-10CE multirole fighter jets to Colombia. The proposal came during a high-profile visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The offer, reported by multiple sources including defense outlet Infodefensa, marks a bold move by China to penetrate the Latin American.
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05/17/2025
The Air Force "lost contact" with an F-16 jet during a mission to repel a Russian aerial attack overnight on May 16 following an emergency situation on board, the Air Force reported. The pilot diverted the plane away from populated areas and ejected, after which he was found by a search and rescue team, according to the statement.
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05/17/2025
President Donald Trump’s comments Thursday in Qatar about future fighter jets planned for the U.S. military have baffled observers and been met with silence from the Pentagon. During a roundtable discussion in Doha, Qatar, flanked by the heads of Boeing and GE Aerospace, Trump surprised many in the military aviation world by asserting a twin-engined F-35 successor, which he dubbed the F-55, was in the works.
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05/16/2025
Chief of Staff for the US Air Force General David Allvin has released some further details about the recently unveiled F-47 next-generation fighter aircraft and the supporting fleet of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) set to reshape the US Air Force.
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05/16/2025
The Australian Department of Defence in partnership with Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] connected F-35 simulators at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bases Williamtown and Tindal via F-35's distributed mission training (DMT) network. This establishes Australia as the first international F-35 customer to receive this capability, further enhancing global mission readiness and interoperability of the F-35 fleet.
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05/16/2025
President Donald Trump is interested in developing a twin-engined, upgraded version of the F-35 fighter, he said during a press event May 15 in Qatar marking the sale of Boeing airliners and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways. He said he would name the improved aircraft the “F-55” and also referred to a freshly improved F-22 as the “F-22 Super.”
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05/16/2025
President Trump on Thursday revealed his wishes for bleeding-edge warplanes he dubbed F-22 Super and F-55. Trump's comments during a stop in Qatar were the first time either potential aircraft has been publicly mentioned. Such major, multibillion-dollar endeavors are not pulled from thin air, suggesting some legwork may already be underway.
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05/15/2025
A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet violated Estonian airspace on the evening of 13 May, flying without a flight plan, with transponders off, and no radio contact. The breach—lasting under a minute—occurred over the Juminda Peninsula in the Gulf of Finland during Exercise Hedgehog, Estonia’s largest annual military drill involving over 16,000 NATO troops.
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05/15/2025
An urgent search is underway for two crew members reported missing after a Japanese air force training aircraft crashed following takeoff. The T-4 training jet, belonging to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), lost contact just two minutes after departing from Komaki Air Base in Aichi prefecture, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
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05/15/2025
At the FEINDEF 2025 exhibition in Madrid, the Army Recognition team met with Ingemar Karlsson, a representative from Saab, for an exclusive interview focused on the T-7, the advanced training aircraft introduced by the Swedish company. Designed as a complete pilot training system for fighter aircraft, the T-7 represents a new approach to preparing modern aircrews, combining digital flexibility, simplified maintenance, and reduced lifecycle costs.
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05/15/2025
Last September, at the Egypt International Air Show, reports emerged that the EAF was set to acquire the Chinese J-10CE although neither CATIC or the EAF would confirm this. It has been suggested that the J-10CE in the static display at Zhuhai Airshow in November last year was actually Egyptian. The fourth-generation fighter could bring a lot of new capabilities, with more advanced weapons.
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05/15/2025
The recent sparks of war between India and Pakistan, apart from the long-standing Kashmir issue, have brought renewed attention to Chinese weapons, French Rafale jets and the rivalry between the duo. While Pakistan has said to have downed three French Rafale jets belonging to India, claims about the initial attack and the aftermath have differed widely, with neither New Delhi nor Islamabad releasing many specific details.
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05/15/2025
The Air Force plans for its sixth-generation F-47 fighter to be able to fly significantly farther than previous jets. In a graphic posted Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Allvin said the F-47 would have a combat radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles, advanced stealth capabilities, and be able to fly at speeds greater than Mach 2, or more than 1,500 miles per hour.
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05/14/2025
The recent dogfight between Indian and Pakistani air forces is the largest dogfight to have taken place in a generation—and is currently the biggest story in global news. The dogfight was full of takeaways—for example, the success of Chinese-made Pakistani J-10 fighters, and the downing of one or more French-made Indian Rafale fighters.
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05/14/2025
In capable hands, an F-16 Fighting Falcon can take on fifth-generation stealth fighter jets like the F-35 Lightning II and even the F-22 Raptor. For decades, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the backbone of dozens of fighter jet fleets around the world. As its era is gradually coming to a close in the coming decades, and with the development of increasingly advanced and stealth fighter jets, it is worth remembering what makes the Fighting Falcon such a superb combat aircraft.
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05/14/2025
Houthi rebels in Yemen fired on a U.S. military F-35 during recent operations, and the missile came close enough to the aircraft for the pilot to take evasive action, a U.S. official confirmed to Task & Purpose. The incident was first reported in the New York Times as part of a story about why President Donald Trump decided to end air and missile strikes against the Houthis earlier this month.
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05/14/2025
The Air Force’s F-47 fighter jet will fly some 70 percent farther without refueling than today’s F-22s, allowing tankers to stay farther from the fray—a key advantage in a potential Pacific conflict. The planned sixth-generation fighter will have a combat radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles, according to an infographic posted Tuesday on X by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. Combat radius refers to the distance an aircraft can travel and still have enough fuel to RTB.
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05/13/2025
The Ministry of National Defense tracked 31 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels, and one official ship around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday and 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Thirty of the 31 People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s northern and southwestern air defense identification zone, according to the MND.
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05/13/2025
The Air Force will rotate fighters through Misawa Air Base, Japan, as the U.S. begins to retire the F-16s now based there and the relocation of a permanent squadron of F-35s. “The Aircraft will transition on a rotational basis,” a Pacific Air Force spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine in response to questions. “These rotations ensure the continuation of our long-standing mission to defend Japan and maintain an open and free Indo-Pacific.”
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05/13/2025
The Hürjet, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), is undergoing a notable evolution from an advanced jet trainer into a versatile light combat aircraft. Originally intended to replace the aging T-38M and NF-5A/B fleets of the Turkish Air Force, the Hürjet is now being positioned for a broader operational role that includes naval aviation and air-to-air combat support, underscoring its growing strategic relevance.
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05/12/2025
Soaring thousands of feet above Nato’s Baltic border with Russia, British fighter pilots are acutely aware that one false move could trigger a global conflict. “It would be very easy, if I waved, to fold up my hand into this [a middle finger], and then that goes out on the news and suddenly it’s an international incident,” a plucky Royal Air Force pilot said as he described intercepting a Kremlin spyplane in his Typhoon jet.
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05/12/2025
During ongoing clashes on the India-Pakistan border in Kashmir, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has reportedly lost a Dassault Rafale fighter jet in combat. The aircraft was deployed as part of Operation Sindoor on the morning of 7 May 2025, marking the first combat use of Rafale jets by India since their acquisition. Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft during the engagement, including three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, and one MiG-29.
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05/12/2025
Japan is considering exporting its next-gen aircraft, which it is developing in collaboration with the UK and Italy under the Global Air Combat Program (GCAP), to Australia. Tokyo reportedly invited India to the GCAP program last month.
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05/11/2025
As part of the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” exercises, which took place from April 19 to May 4, one of the Chinese Air Force’s new YY-20A aircraft refueled Egyptian MiG-29M/M2 fighter jets in flight for the first time. This was only a small portion of the extensive and varied operations carried out by the armed forces of both countries, aimed at strengthening their defense cooperation, which also included air combat simulations and search and rescue training in hostile environments.
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05/11/2025
The recent aerial clash between India and Pakistan has drawn global attention to Chinese military technology, particularly after Pakistan claimed victory in a massive dogfight involving 125 fighter jets from both sides.Tactical gear This engagement, which lasted over an hour, ranks as one of the largest and longest air battles in recent aviation history, potentially the biggest since World War II if the aircraft numbers are verified.
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05/11/2025
The United States Marine Corps has deployed Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211), known as the “Wake Island Avengers,” to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen deterrence and military readiness in the Indo-Pacific. Announced on May 10, 2025, the deployment, conducted under the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program, comes amid rising tensions in the region, particularly due to China’s increasing military assertiveness.
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05/10/2025
Donald Trump says "India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire".
In a post on social media platform Truth Social, the US President says: "After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. "Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
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05/10/2025
When Pakistan said it had downed five Indian jets, the matter sparked a lot of discussion. It was easily a win for the country for many. But it is feared the conflict can get even bigger. Taking to X, South Asia analyst Micheal Kugelman wrote, "India's strike on Pakistan is of much greater scale than the one in 2019. Pakistan's response, which according to many reports included downing several Indian jets, has also exceeded the scale of 2019.
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05/10/2025
As reported by kf21_military on May 5, 2025, the development of a single-seat variant of the South Korean FA-50 light attack aircraft advanced with the issuance of a formal tender by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which involves the construction of a cockpit for a controllability evaluation simulator specifically for the single-seat version of the FA-50. This step marks the beginning of technical work under the F-50 program, which was reactivated in 2024 after being previously suspended.
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05/10/2025
The escalating conflict between India and Pakistan could be offering the world a first real glimpse into how advanced Chinese military technology performs against proven Western hardware – and Chinese defense stocks are already surging. Shares of China’s AVIC Chengdu Aircraft rose 40% this week, as Pakistan claimed it used AVIC-produced J-10C fighter jets to shoot down Indian combat aircraft – including the advanced French-made Rafale – during an aerial battle on Wednesday.
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05/09/2025
Dramatic footage is emerging from Indian Punjab's Bathinda region showing what appears to be the smouldering wreckage of an Indian Air Force jet, as Islamabad claims its pilots downed five Indian sophisticated fighter aircraft in an alarming escalation along the India-Pakistan frontier on Wednesday morning. India has so far remained tight-lipped, offering no confirmation or denial.
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05/09/2025
A first-of-its-kind F-35 Lightning II Combined Test Force stood up May 1, 2025 to become part of Eglin’s developmental and operational fighter test complex. This major milestone by the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center establishes the Air Reserve Component as a key player in fifth-generation fighter aircraft testing.
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05/09/2025
Nuclear powers India and Pakistan are clashing again, and there are claims of aircraft kills from air battles that sound like a hodgepodge of foreign-made fighters. Pakistani officials said Thursday that the country had shot down five Indian fighter jets and a number of drones since India launched cross-border strikes earlier this week, kicking off a new round of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
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05/09/2025
A dogfight between Chinese-made Pakistani jets and French-made Indian Rafale fighters will be closely scrutinized by militaries seeking insights that could offer an edge in future conflicts.
A Chinese-made Pakistani fighter plane shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, two U.S. officials said, marking a potential milestone for Beijing's advanced fighter jet.
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05/09/2025
Chinese-made fighter jets operated by Pakistan were responsible for shooting down at least two Indian warplanes, a battlefield achievement that marks a breakthrough for Beijing’s technology. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told parliament on Wednesday evening that Chinese J-10Cs were used to shoot down Indian jets, in what has been described as one of the longest dogfights in history.
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05/08/2025
Some 125 Indian and Pakistani fighter jets battled for over an hour in one of the biggest dogfights in recent history, according to a Pakistani security source quoted by CNN. If the numbers of aircraft were confirmed, it would make it one of the largest air battles since World War Two.
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05/08/2025
An ejection seat believed to be from a Pakistani Air Force Mirage V fighter jet was discovered in Lahore, sparking speculation that Pakistan may have lost one of its aircraft amid a night strike from India. Footage showing the seat was first shared on TikTok earlier today. While the video’s authenticity and the exact time of recording remain unverified, the imagery clearly shows a military ejection system consistent with that used in Pakistan’s Mirage V fighter jet.
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05/08/2025
The downing of three Indian Rafale fighter jets by Pakistan has dealt a severe blow to New Delhi’s security apparatus, with strategic, psychological and diplomatic repercussions. According to government sources, the successful engagement marks a major milestone for Pakistan’s air force and exposes serious vulnerabilities in India’s air defence readiness and rules of engagement.
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05/08/2025
The Pakistan military has brought down five Indian jets in retaliation for late-night strikes by its neighbouring country, launched after midnight at the sites of Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh and Muzaffarabad, reports DAWN, citing state media. The same was confirmed by Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who said that the response is ongoing, but did not share operational details, the report states, citing Sky News.
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05/08/2025
On May 7, 2025, during Teknofest 2025, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) announced a new phase for its indigenous stealth fighter program, KAAN. CEO of TAI, Mehmet Demiroglu, revealed that the second prototype is currently under construction and will feature notable changes to its airframe, including reshaped air intakes and structural enhancements. The prototype is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
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05/08/2025
A Finnish Air Force F/A-18C Hornet fighter jet crashed near Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) in northern Finland on the morning of May 7, 2025, at 10:50 local time, the military confirmed. The aircraft fell within a designated military area, prompting an emergency response.
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05/08/2025
The Air Force plans on flying the F-22 Raptor well into the 2040s. But to remain competitive against near-peer fighter jets, it needs upgrades now and in the future. The U.S. Air Force operates a plethora of superb fighter jets. With a fleet of several different types of fighter jets, the Air Force knows that it can take on any threat out there. But if there is any particular fighter jet that stands out from the rest, it is certainly the F-22 Raptor.
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05/08/2025
The air war currently unfolding between India and Pakistan is exceedingly murky, but one aspect that seems almost certain is the use of the Chinese-made PL-15 active-radar-guided air-to-air missile (AAM) by Pakistan. So far, Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, and there are multiple accounts, including from Indian officials, pointing to the crash of at least two aircraft, without specifying the reasons.
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05/08/2025
Another F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier has been lost in the Red Sea, the second jet lost from the carrier in just over a week, five people familiar with the matter told CNN. It is not entirely clear what happened yet, as the investigation is ongoing, but two of the people said there was some kind of arrestment failure as the jet was trying to land on the carrier and the pilot and weapons systems officer had to eject. They were recovered by a rescue
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05/07/2025
The Indian government says it has launched an attack on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Three locations have been attacked, Pakistan's military says. It says seven people including two children have been killed. Residents in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir told the BBC how they were jolted awake by huge explosions.
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05/07/2025
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed continued progress on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), with over £2 billion invested to date and formal programme structures now in place to deliver the next-generation fighter aircraft under the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with Japan and Italy.
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05/07/2025
On May 7, 2025, the Indian Air Force launched a significant military exercise over the desert skies of Rajasthan, just miles from the Pakistan border, deploying its frontline Rafale and Su-30MKI fighter jets in a bold display of aerial prowess.
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05/07/2025
Komatsu Air Base on Japan’s western coast has become the latest hub for the country’s advanced air power with the arrival of its first F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. This delivery, which took place on 26 April 2025, represents a historic moment for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
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05/06/2025
The U.S. is sending non-flyable, stripped-down F-16s from Arizona storage to Ukraine for spare parts, supporting NATO-donated jets and aiding Kyiv’s air capabilities amid ongoing Russian missile attacks.
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05/06/2025
On May 5, 2025, TürkiyeToday published a pivotal interview with Haluk Görgün, President of the Presidency of Turkish Defense Industries (SSB), revealing crucial developments about Türkiye’s most ambitious unmanned aerial combat system—the Bayraktar KIZILELMA. Developed by leading Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, the KIZILELMA is expected to be officially inducted into the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) by 2026, marking a transformative moment in Türkiye’s defense capabilities.
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05/06/2025
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) is working to expand flight testing and accelerate prototype production of the Kaan aircraft. The company says it now aims to deliver the first aircraft to the Turkish Air Force by the end of 2028. Speaking on the sidelines of the Teknofest aerospace and technology festival in an interview with Turkey’s public broadcaster TRT, TUSAS CEO Mustafa Demiroglu provided an update on the project’s progress.
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05/05/2025
Friday, May 2, the Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down two russian Su-30 fighter jets in one mission. First, footage showing one of the fighters falling into the sea after a missile hit was published by the Defense Intelligence, later Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi reported that another russian aircraft was destroyed, too, although without specifying what type it was.
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05/05/2025
On May 2, 2025, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted touch-and-go operations on a 3.5-kilometer stretch of the Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district. The exercise featured various frontline aircraft, including Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Jaguar, and Mirage 2000 jets, demonstrating the IAF’s operational readiness. ?
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05/05/2025
The British Royal Air Force (RAF) has unveiled its first-ever Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP), StormShroud. It will operate in a manned-unmanned teaming (MUMT) format with crewed fighter jets, including the RAF F-35B Lightning II and Eurofighter Typhoons.
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05/04/2025
Celebrating his 100th day in office, President Donald Trump, during a visit to Michigan on April 29, announced that Selfridge Air National Guard Base would receive 21 F-15EX fighter jets, which will assure the base's future. "This is where they're going to be for a long time," Trump said, touting the fighters as "brand new."
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05/04/2025
Japan, Britain and Italy are almost ready to bring Saud Arabia on board in the development of a next-generation fighter aircraft, Japanese government officials told The Asahi Shimbun on May 2. The move is part of a multinational initiative dubbed the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) to jointly develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter. Saudi Arabia would be a “partner country” in the project.
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05/04/2025
Norway is set to significantly enhance its air power combat capabilities following the approval of a major Foreign Military Sale (FMS) by the U.S. State Department. Valued at an estimated $370.9 million, the deal includes a substantial number of AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles and a range of related support equipment. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) formally notified U.S. Congress of the proposed sale on May 2, 2025.
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05/04/2025
NATO conducted a joint air and missile defence mission over Romania in April 2025 as part of a coordinated Flexible Deterrence Option (FDO), underscoring Allied cohesion and readiness across eastern Europe. The multinational operation involved Greek and Turkish F-16 Fighting Falcons, Italian Eurofighter Typhoons, and a French air-to-air refuelling tanker.
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05/04/2025
The U.S. State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Ukraine for F-16 Training and Sustainment and related support, with a total estimated value of $310.5 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) formally notified the U.S. Congress of the decision on May 2, 2025, marking a critical move in the ongoing efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air combat readiness.
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05/04/2025
A Russian Su-30 fighter jet was destroyed by a sea drone strike carried out by Ukraine's military intelligence, marking the first time a sea drone takes down a jet, Ukraine's military intelligence said on May 3. The intelligence agency, HUR, said the unprecedented operation took place on May 2 near the Russian port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea and published the video of the strike.
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05/02/2025
A quick-thinking US Navy sailor was able to narrowly escape a fighter jet just moments before it fell into the Red Sea on Monday. The unidentified sailor was inside the cockpit of an F/A-18 fighter jet, estimated to cost about $60 million, when it slipped off the hanger deck of the USS Harry S. Truman, Business Insider reports.
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05/02/2025
Twenty-one US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons based in Italy have flown to the UK to examine their combat readiness in Exercise Combat Archer. The training was the US Air Force's largest Weapons System Evaluation Programme (WSEP) exercise ever held in Europe.
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05/02/2025
The air force yesterday said it was investigating the accidental firing of a flare from one of its Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jets, also known as the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching Kuo, on Wednesday. There were no injuries or damages, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident, the air force said. The flares, usually used to protect jets against incoming guided missiles, were released in flight, sources said.
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05/01/2025
India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting its airspace to all aircraft registered, operated, or leased by Pakistan, including commercial airlines and military flights. This closure, effective from April 30 to May 23, 2025, is a significant escalation amid heightened tensions following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
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05/01/2025
The country wants to buy fighter jets with American engines and at the same time pay russians for repairing its Mi-17 helicopter, which requires an appropriate response Colombia has begun the process of gradually restoring and returning to service its fleet of russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, three of which are due to return to service already in June 2025, and the next three in December, according to Zona Militar.
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05/01/2025
State Rep. Tom Kuhn, R-Troy, issued the following statement after President Trump’s announcement of the new fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base: “I fully support the administration’s decision to establish a new F-15EX fighter jet mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. This investment not only secures the long-term future of Selfridge and enhances our national defense, but it also delivers a significant boost to Michigan’s economy.
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05/01/2025
U.S. Air Force aerial warfare experts are asking Northrop Grumman Corp. for additional modern active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar development for jet fighter aircraft under terms of an $8.4 million order announced on Monday.
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